Group Alleges Plot to Grant Bail to Orji Uzor Kalu

As the Supreme Court is expected to decide on the 12 years jail sentence on former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, over alleged misappropriation of N7.6 billion while in office between 1999 and 2007 today, a Coalition of Civil Society Organisation on Anti-Corruption has raised the alarm over plot by some politicians to arm-twist the Supreme Court to rule in Kalu’s favour.   

Briefing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, the Coordinator of Centre for Corruption and Intelligence Monitoring, Hon. Uche Okoroafor, said the intelligence report at their disposal is that the highly placed politicians want to secure bail for Kalu on May 8 on health ground.

He said the paid agents, under the guise of highly placed politicians, are coming under the new order by the presidency to decongest the correctional centre to ask for the release of Kalu.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had accused Senator Kalu of N7.6 billion fraud and also recalled that because of this development, an Appeal Court had recently ruled on an appeal he filed reaffirming the 12-year jail term slammed on him by a Federal High Court in Lagos on December 5, 2019.

However, the Supreme Court will today give its final judgment on the last appeal filed before it by the embattled former governor, a development expected to put an end to his trial.

According to the anti-corruption coalition, "While the people of Abia State and indeed other lovers of democracy anxiously await this all important ruling on Friday, we are however alarmed by the reported fresh move by some highly placed politicians to arm-twist the Supreme Court to rule in favour of the convicted former governor.    

"We had earlier in our press conference in Abuja told Nigerians how these paid  politicians had recruited some faceless groups to stage a protest match demanding the release of the convicted former governor."

Okoroafor said the group had intelligence report in their possession of fresh plot by these same agents to secure bail for the embattled senator this Friday on health ground, explaining that the said paid agents are coming under the new order by the presidency to decongest the correctional centres to ask for the release of Kalu.

He noted that they are worried because it was not too long ago that former state Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Udo Udeogu, who was convicted alongside Kalu, was released on the ground of ill health.